


The Vesper's Slumber

by reikis



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: F/M, this is garbage and will never be continued
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-07
Updated: 2019-12-26
Packaged: 2021-01-25 03:04:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,744
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21349213
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reikis/pseuds/reikis
Summary: She promised to remember for the both of them. What she did not expect was him to stumble back into her life.
Comments: 11
Kudos: 61





	1. Chapter 1

Here she was once again.

She found herself staring out at the turquoise cityscape once more. The lights looked like stars blanketing the night sky from her vantage point. Her own two feet had carried her here, but she could not quite figure out why. It was all an unconscious effort. There was, surely, nothing left to be found here after everything she had been through. Everything he put her through. However, she bit her lip and fought back a bitter breath before proceeding down from the steep cliff of the Tempest and into the imaginary city proper.

She wandered aimlessly, eyes slowly drifting side to side. There was a certain care to her glances. She was both aware of her seemingly endless loneliness and presence of the shades left behind after his death.

A truly powerful magic was used in raising this city from the abyss. As fake as it was.

She felt nostalgic wandering the solemn streets. It was such a powerful feeling she could feel her hands shake. She fought it not. Merely lived with it. This has happened a lot recently but seems to amplify itself when in this city. It was an almost overwhelming emotion. She nearly broke down crying when visiting this city once, but she could not quite figure out why. She always rested on the precipice of figuring it all out.

She rubbed her eyes. Tears did not escape, but she felt the urge to before finally coming to a stop to stare up at that building. The highest of them all. Her hands weakly tightened into fists as one slowly came to rest over her katana handle. She paused and breathed slowly to control herself, lowering her hand once more. She brought her head up to stare to the listless waters high above.

Did she feel guilty? Or Sorry?

Was she trying to remember?

It all made her heart ache.

She just couldn't move forward without looking back.

* * *

_"Remember."_

* * *

She came to a pause. She could use plenty of powerful magic, but she was never one for tracing the aether of living things. She was hardly an expert, her magic amplified by her gift. It was an unknown, but familiar, feeling. She couldn’t quite put a finger on it. She pushed her lithe body against a dark tree of the Greatwood, eyes peering into the distance. Her fingers tightened against the rough bark as she attempted to mentally reach out.

For someone unfamiliar with sensing another’s aether, something was incredibly intimate about the one she felt in the distance.

Wait, how could she feel it this vividly?

She closed her eyes once more as she did when being whisked into the Mothercrystal’s presence. She felt herself subconsciously, physically reaching out past the tree she held onto. It was a deep violet and dark gold before her. It was a vivid sensation, but at the same time it felt dim. As if it were to die out at any moment like a weak ember in Garuda’s winds.

She broke into a sprint after the fading aether. She opened her golden eyes and expertly wove through the abundance of trees before her destination. She hastened her speed and ran into one of the meadows, breaking past the tree line, near the Vii dwelling of Fanow. Among the freshly blooming baby blue flowers she discovered a body. She heaved in and forced herself over.

It was a familiar man wearing a basic, torn cloak and a broken bow and emptied quiver at either side of him. His left hand, bare and left to rest over his bow handle, was soaked in his own blood, cut across the knuckles. Along that, the young woman found a patch of blood over his right eye, underneath the messy streak of white hair in the sea of burgundy now stained red.

She bit her lip, fighting the urge to draw her katana with a hand resting over the hilt, on the barely breathing man.

Did he deserve that?

Did Emet-Selch – Hades – deserve that?

* * *

She patched his wounds to the best of her abilities. She wasn’t a particularly experienced conjurer, she was more experienced with destructive magicks, but could do a rough job alongside bandages and medicine supplied by the generous Vii. She sat as if a statue in a chair she brought to the bed in the room she had been staying in. She was in the area to investigate something on her lonesome for once when she felt the overwhelming presence of his aether. Her hands betrayed her stern stature, trembling as they rested over her knees.

Despite her racing mind, it wasn’t long before she dozed off, still sitting up straight against the wood chair.

He was met with agony when he woke. Well, he wasn’t quite there yet. Pain surged through his form as his senses one-by-one came back to him. It was quiet, only the sound of a bird outside whatever room he was in and the near silent breathing of someone next to him. His hands twitched, attempting to grab at the blanket beneath them, but failing to find a grip. He couldn’t bend his fingers through the searing sensation, especially in his left hand. He managed a moan, however, head rolling onto its side, white streak of hair flopping over his forehead. Still, his eyes refused to respond to his demands. They were just too heavy, the ache too much.

His mind drifted off, falling back into unconsciousness.

A hand came to rest in the air over the sleeping man. It still shook briefly, its owner still incapable of controlling it properly. Her mind lingered over his faint aetheric presence before shaking her head. She let out a heavy sigh and went about tending to his injuries, reapplying bandages over his still fresh wounds.

She blinked when he seemed to stir after she finished with the cut over his eye.

After what seemed to be an unending eternity for him, the man opened pale gold eyes to find a much brighter gold framed by brunette locks staring down at him.

“A-Ah...” she let out, glancing to the katana she left leaning against the wall behind her despite him not seeming to be much a threat. For now.

“Wh...”

“You’re alive,” she said quietly, expression softening as she read his tumultuous aether. He was a mess, his body seemingly falling apart before her in so many ways. But she then narrowed her eyes. “Why?”

“What do you...” he groaned, finding words difficult. He looked to the side, eyes low. Something seemed so familiar about her and it left him there awkward before her.

“I don’t know what you mean.”

The Warrior of Light stiffened in surprise. She could sense the truth from him but that left her even more confused. He genuinely didn’t understand what she meant. She turned to the broken bow and quiver she left on the small desk to her right. So many questions but she decided against them. He seemed like he needed more rest before any of that, so she let the topic rest in her mind.

“I won’t press,” she finally declared, standing as to leave the room but not before grabbing the halves of the bow.

The man watched her quizzically but found himself fading within a few moments. He let the darkness take his weary body once more.

When he woke next, he found himself alone. He breathed in and found the strength to bear his weight with his weak muscles and rested against the wall with a heavy sigh. Every fiber of his being was protesting but he fought back with a low grumble. His eyes rested on his lap and he discovered the most prominent source of pain: that bandaged hand. He winced when he moved it and opted to hold his good hand over it. His mind eventually drifted to his aching stomach, finding that girl had removed his coat and boots to rest them on the nearby desk alongside his quiver, and finally back to the girl herself.

That girl clearly knew something about him.

* * *

The Warrior lined up a shot with one of the ravenous beasts that oft wandered around Fanow. She conjured a glowing arrow with her right hand and let go, launching the arrow and piercing the creature. She stood up from her crouched position behind a great tree, smiling slightly. She played with the bow a bit once more, testing the durability of the replacement string, and gave a satisfactory nod. A decent job, for the lack of recent practice.

“There you are,” a deep voice suddenly said.

The Warrior let out a deafening scream, shooing away any fauna that would have been near, and turned to find that man standing behind her. He had raised brows as if he himself was surprised by her scare.

“W-Warn me... next time,” the brunette let out. “Twelve...” She quickly collected herself and stared at him with concern creeping. “How did you even know to find me out here?”

“The villagers told me,” he answered.

“And you couldn’t wait for me?”

“My apologies.” She tilted her head, confused with his behavior. “I merely had a feeling I could not shake, and it occurred to me you may have the answer.”

“The uh... answer to what?” the Warrior asked.

“Who am I?”


	2. Chapter 2

The Warrior stiffened in surprise, staring at the tall – all too lithe – man.

“Wh...” she stared, almost dumbfounded. “Who are you?” She shook as she tried to find the appropriate response for him. “H-Hey, Hades... this is a prank, right? I mean, all you did was–” She paused, reconsidering her thoughts when she found him lowering his brows in confusion. She nervously rubbed the back of her head. She blinked as she recollected herself and lowered her hand with an index finger raised. “Let’s head back and discuss this. There are some rather unsightly monsters out here.”

He merely nodded and followed her back to Fanow, raising no further questions along the way.

* * *

The Warrior came into the small room and placed a bowl before the man at the round table at its center before taking a seat across from him with her own bowl. He stared at it for a moment, picking out the vegetables swirling about the aromatic broth.

“What do you know, exactly?” the Warrior eventually asked after prodding at her own soup.

“Nothing,” the man whispered in a low voice. The Warrior stared with concern as he had lifted his other hand to the table and stared at his palms with a deep frown. Her brows slowly raised, studying the clearly exhausted man quietly. She narrowed his eyes, tracing dull pulses in his aether every so often with his slow, almost forced, breathing. She lowered her eyes when his gaze drifted upward, avoiding the dull look in his gold eyes.

“Well...” she started, finding herself not very hungry. She brought her head up with a small, forced smile. “I never knew too much about other than when you answered my questions, but I suppose it’s better than nothing.”

She stood up and moved her chair closer to the tall man, taking her seat once more. She reached for his hands and held them in hers tight. She frowned when they felt so cold in her grasp, so lifeless with him hardly reacting to her actions. She stared into his eyes with her own gold.

“We traveled with some time before you... vanished,” she started. She was at odds to herself. What purpose did she have concealing the truth from him? She had killed him with her own two hands. It was what had to be done, right? She murdered him. Yet, here he was. She bit her lip for a moment. Would the truth be too much for him in such a fragile state, if he himself was truthful about knowing nothing? She decided that as right for herself. For her own self at the moment. She dreaded thinking back on that day, what she had done, what he had done. They were both sinners of a lost, forlorn star. For now, the truth was worth forsaking for both their sakes. “You helped my friends and myself a lot. You were magnificent with magic and teased others but answered questions when I had them. You always...”

Carried the weight of the world.

“You always smile,” she beamed, shifting to the current tense. “Heroes always do, after all...” She subconsciously held him tight. Her smile widened as she felt the briefest of surges in his aether. “Your name is Hades.”

“Hades...” he repeated the name back, taking it in as his own. “Hades...” He closed his eyes and gave the briefest of nods before opening them and staring at the brunette before him. “And you?”

“Ah,” the Warrior’s smile widened and she tilted her head. “Mine’s Reiki.”

“I traveled with you, Reiki,” the man slowly formed the words as he pieced his thoughts together, “and we were friends?”

Reiki stared silently for a moment, sweat on her face.

“W...” Her expression softened. “We were.” She shook her head. “We _are_.”

Hades gave just a small curve to his lips and nodded.

“I suppose it is great luck you found me,” he quietly remarked.

“Yeah...” muttered the brunette, frowning. Yeah, by some luck that she could suddenly be capable of feeling for his aether and was in the right place at the right time. She sat there for a moment, studying his slow beat. She frowned as she felt it before jerking her head to the side when it seemed to bounce against hers. She looked up and found him staring.

“Are you alright?” Hades questioned.

“Huh?” Reiki tilted her head.

“Your hands,” he clarified.

Reiki’s gaze drifted down. She glared at her gloves hands with slowly widening eyes, realizing they were trembling in his grasp. She quickly removed them and gave a cheeky smile, a small blush gracing her cheeks.

“Ah, sorry about that,” she immediately apologized, rubbing the back of her head. “I got a bit lost in my thoughts for a moment there...” She motioned back to the soup as to move away from the conversation. “I guess we shouldn’t let this go cold!”

* * *

Hades woke with a start, sweat beading down his face quickly. He sat up and stared at the moonlight streaming into the room with a frown, losing grasp at what made him wake like he did. He shook his head and looked to the rest of the room to find that Reiki had vanished.

Where had she been staying? Another room in the village? It hadn’t been the biggest but perhaps she was a good friend of the bunny-eared villagers. He slowly moved his legs to hang off the bed and stood up, thighs shaky for a moment. He collected himself and headed out of the room. He groaned, his body rebelling just slightly and urging him to go back to bed.

He headed outside and made sure to close the door to the small abode behind him. He stopped and stared to the midnight moon hanging high above the forest canopy. He carefully headed down a nearby staircase, making sure to not slip with his untrustworthy, weak form. He arrived at another canopy and stared out past a few of the Vii guarding the village entrance to find Reiki swinging her icy katana with incredible easy.

“Oh, you’re awake,” one of the women at his side commented. He turned to her and stared for a moment.

“Ah, a nightmare,” he murmured, looking away. “Not that I remember it.”

“Unfortunate,” the woman remarked.

“How so?” Hades asked. “If it was bad...”

The woman shook her free hand. “Remembering th’ bad will aid you in long run. Face your fears!” she encouraged.

“I-Is that so?” Hades muttered. He looked back to Reiki as she gave another swing of her sword. He studied her for a quiet moment, noticing her closed eyes. He watched as she cut through the air with a swift thrust before running at the tree before her, easily running up it a few ilms and kicking off and slicing at a practice piece of wood hanging from said tree. She then swung her sword at it again, perpendicular, to split into even quarters. She landed, not even opening her eyes to observe her work, and held her sword out with both hands, focusing herself once more.

“What about her?” Hades looked back to the woman next to him.

“She harbors... something more than most people,” the woman answered. “She’s th’ type y’ look at for more than a moment and know that.” She reached into her pocket, shuffling through it for something. “She wears a mask of strength for others’ sakes. To lead and inspire.”

Hades stared at the Vii and blinked down, confused when she presented him a small leather-bound journal. She gave him a small smile.

“It’s important t’ remember your struggles,” she advised, urging for him to take it. “This is a spare.”

“My thanks,” Hades gave a short bow and took the journal from her.

“Y’ should head back t’ bed,” the woman giggled. “She would worry if she found y’ here.”

“Really?” Hades pocketed the journal. He nodded and turned to head back to the room he had been staying in. “Thank you, again.”

The woman wove him off and turned back as Reiki dashed forward and threw a blast of energy into the air above her to knock a target out of another tree, easily slicing it in half despite her still-closed eyes. She gave a twirl to the side and threw another perpendicular slice as she had before with ease. She stretched a leg out, holding her katana out over an extended arm to match it but never touching it.

No woman. A girl that hid so much from the world, fighting off an indomitable pain. A girl that would bear so much weight, the wishes of so many, and kept a vow to protect everyone as to not lose anyone ever again.

Just as he had.

And she had failed the day she brought darkness back to this world.

Reiki paused and lowered her katana, eyes still closed, as she felt tremors of aether in the air. She finally opened her eyes and stared at the dirt of her feet, vision blurring. She placed her free hand against her head and shook the disturbing feeling off.

“I just need sleep...” she told herself, sheathing her katana and moving to pick up the pieces of wood she had sliced.

* * *

When Hades woke that morning, he found that Reiki had vanished again but found her katana leaning against the far wall so she must have not gone far. He reached for the journal the Vii guard had given him, sticking it under his pillow the night before. And took an ink pen from the desk beside him, staring at its blank pages.

_ My name is Hades.  
_ _ Hades.  
_ _ Her name is Reiki.  
_ _ Reiki.  
_ _ These names seem right the more I repeat them.  
_ _ I cannot recall the dream I had last night – perhaps I had not at all if not for the better – so I shall entail these words instead:  
_ _ We had traveled together somewhere in time. We were friends. I feel at ease when I look at her – somewhere inside – and I know I can trust her.  
_ _ I helped her and her friends.  
_ _ I wonder who they are and where they are; it seems she has been alone among the villagers for some time.  
_ _ I know magic. Or did. I am unsure of my abilities now.  
_ _ I must have been hurt when she found me. Everything hurts and it seems she has patched up my visible injuries not to mention she fixed the broken bow I only briefly recall using. And skilled with a sword. Multidisciplinary. Impressive for one that seems so young.  
_ _ And odd one.  
_ _ But kind.  
_ _ I cannot help but think of her words:  
_ _ Heroes always smile.  
_ _ What do they mean to her and why would she use them for me?_

Hades gave himself a calm smile as he found solace in writing his thoughts for himself. He gave short doodles alongside his notes, detailing both his polished bow as well as Reiki’s peculiar icicle katana and its matching scabbard. He glanced up every so often to where they stood near the door, referencing them as he went along. He gave a satisfied nod and return the pen where it belonged and closed the journal, placing it back under the pillow.

He looked up when he heard the door open, finding Reiki peering in.

“Oh!” she let out with a smile. “You’re awake!”

She came over with two mugs, quietly closing the door with a foot, and handed Hades one. He calmly took it, making sure to hold it with both hands as he did not find much trust himself, and took a concentrated sip of the hot liquid.

“Good tea, right?” Reiki asked.

Hades glanced up and tilted his head in agreement. It was good, just a bit too hot for his tastes. He stared for a moment as the brunette easily downed her cup and placed it on the center table with her hands on her hips, satisfied.

“Are you feeling better?” she wondered aloud, taking a seat across from him.

“Better than I was, yes,” Hades answered before taking another tentative sip from his mug. “Thank you.”

“It’s no problem!” Reiki smiled widely.

_She always has such a gleeful smile._

He couldn’t help but think of what the guard had told him.

What could possibly put a dent in such a cheerful girl? A mask of strength to inspire others. For the sake of everyone else at the sacrifice of herself?

He dropped the topic from his consideration for now.


	3. Chapter 3

“So, you really don’t remember how you ended up out here alone?” Reiki asked, walking in front of Hades’s view and tilting her head as she stared up at him. Her brows were raised with curiosity and her hands locked behind her back. This was the first time he got a good look at her outfit in the light: a torn faded blue coat complemented by knee-high boots and elbow-high gloves. The sheath and handle of her light blue katana were visible at her side, latched to a belt.

Hades placed a hand on his chin and focused his best on what memories he had left. He frowned and lowered it, only blurs of the forest ceiling and–

“A shadow,” he murmured. “That’s... all I remember before I met you.” He looked back up and eyed her, sure of himself.

“A... shadow?” Reiki repeated it back for herself. She raised her arms and crossed them, head still resting over her shoulder. Her expression dropped when she considered anything it could have been. It didn’t bode well in her head, her mind somehow skipping over the fact Elidibus would surely be hunting Hades down if he felt his return even with his tumultuous aether. As Reiki studied him, he still felt so distinctively Hades. She found herself lost in her thoughts as Hades fixed the sleeveless turtleneck he wore, waiting for her.

“Ah, well...” she eventually shrugged, dropping her arms dramatically. “That aside, for now...” She reached behind her back and held out the bow Hades had when she found him, now repaired where it had been split and new string added. “Here you are. I just finished fine-tuning my repairs.”

Hades took wooden bow and searched it down. It was a nicely carved bow but had unfortunately been broken just above the handle. Reiki had added a fitting gold-tinted metal and fixed both sides of the wood into it. She was no expert but there was a certain skill to her repair. It was elegant in a way, the metal etched into to match the bow’s engravings as if it belonged there as an ornament during initial crafting. He twirled it a bit and held it in his left hand, pulling at the new string with his right. He turned and looked back to Reiki, the brunette clearly awaiting his comments.

“A carpenter?” he ventured.

Reiki smiled, hands on her hips. “I’m way out of practice but yeah!” She pointed to the quiver Hades had slung over his shoulder. “I made the replacement arrows, too.”

She stepped to the side and pointed to a wooden target hanging from a tree.

“I got some targets set up if you want to test it.”

Hades nodded and reached for an arrow from the quiver. He swallowed and aimed it at the target Reiki had pointed out and lined the arrow with its center, drawing it back slowly. He winced as he held the bow, fighting back pain in his left hand. He bit back the feeling and steadied himself before launching the arrow. Bullseye.

Reiki gave a small clap as he took aim at another target. She kept to the side, watching him collect his bearings and drawing back another arrow. However, he left out a small cry and the arrow shot wayside into the tree holding up the target. He blinked and stared at it as the pain in his hand died down, left with it trembling in front of him.

“Ah...” Reiki let out, eyeing the bandaged hand. She hurried over and took it in her hands, it shaking as Hades barely held onto the bow. She sighed and took the bow from him, placing it over her back. “That’s enough of that, I suppose.” She gave the tall man a small smile. “I’ll need to redo that hand when we get back.”

Hades tilted his head in agreement, right hand resting over his left anxiously. He prodded at his knuckles where he had been cut, feeling at the still-tender flesh under the bandages. He moved to follow Reiki back into the village but found himself short of breath. He shifted his hands over his chest and gripped at his turtleneck, trying to urge more air into his body.

Reiki jerked her head up, feeling a surge of aether in the air behind her. She turned and stared at Hades, stopping in her tracks, with widening eyes. She was at his side just as he fell to his knees, thighs trembling and giving out beneath him. She rested her hands over his cheeks, sweat coming down his face, and brought it up. She stared into his glazed over eyes, his breaths becoming heavy pants. She ignored the turning in his aether and focused on his physical state, shaking him just a bit.

He gazed into her gold eyes, vision quickly blurring, and collapsed in her arms before he could muster a word, body giving in to the weariness.

“H... Hey! Hades!” Reiki fruitlessly called.

* * *

_Hades turned around, apprehension creeping onto his features, and stared into the void. He held out an arm, stretching out a gloved hand. He twisted and turned it, staring at the metal claws extending over his grip on his thumb and first two fingers. He panicked and stared at the sharp claws and to the decorated sleeve of his dark robe. He looked ahead and rested a hand over an ear, fingers intertwining themselves in lengthy white locks._

_He stared up, a glint of light blue-green just barely collecting itself at the center of his vision. It blurred as he urged himself forward as to approach it. He fell to his knees and reached out to the warm light, darkness bleeding into his view, as it extended around him with him losing consciousness._

_“I’m so sorry, Hades. This is for everyone.”_

** _“Just trust me.”_ **

* * *

When he finally came to again, Hades was met with the darkness once more. He groaned in pain, turning to find Reiki sitting at the desk, playing with two pieces of metal with her thin fingers. She had removed her gloves to gain better grip over the small metal, quietly carving at them by moonlight. She turned when she heard him shift on the bed and gave a relieved smile.

“You’re awake...” She lowered the metal and straightened her back. “Can you breathe?”

Hades nodded, sitting up and resting a hand over his chest. He leaned against the wall, watching Reiki shift in her seat to sit at the bedside with her hands eagerly in her lap. Her expression softened as Hades regathered his bearings, bringing himself back to reality. His body ached in protest but he pushed through it, meeting Reiki’s golden gaze with his own.

Reiki’s face softened as she studied his aether. It had slowed to way it moved before, the dark violet dim but alive with churning movements that assured her that he was indeed still here. She narrowed her eyes when she traced its surface, forcing her vision to see further than prior. It shifted before her, moving as if to hide something. She internally sighed and gave it up for the moment, simply satisfied with him awake again.

“How much does it hurt?” the Warrior finally asked to break the awkward silence.

Hades lifted a hand to his head, feeling at the fresh bandage over his forehead, and let out a sigh. He looked to his trembling left hand in frustration, forcing himself to clench it despite his pain.

“This hand,” he murmured. He twisted his wrist and stared at the bandage over his knuckles.

“That,” Reiki sighed. “I’m not sure. It looked like you were attacked by something. I found you with a banged-up head and hand.”

“I see...” Hades looked down, lowering his hand.

“I’m sorry I don’t know more,” Reiki apologized. She gave a small bow with her head. Hades quickly looked back up and shook his body.

“What could possibly make you think that?” he leaned forward. Reiki was physically taken aback by the statement. She had been so used to the strangely quiet – possibly fearful with his current condition – man that she simply had not expected it. She gave a small giggle that grew into full laughter. Hades quizzically eyed her, wondering where the outburst of hers had come from as she settled down.

“Pray forgive me!” Reiki said through the chuckles. She wiped a tear dramatically and gave a widening smile. It felt good to laugh like that every once in a while despite the absolutely strange situation she has found herself in these days. “That’s just... something you would probably scold me for in the past!” She gave another giggle.

“Is that so?” Hades muttered, a hand on his chin. “I suppose you are rather strange for blaming yourself for something so far beyond your own control.”

The man gave his own smile as he studied Reiki’s features. She was grinning like a maniac but exhaustion was clear on her fair face. Her eyes were dark and eyebrows raised as to force a lighter expression on her face. Her eyes were still these bright gold orbs that almost seemed to illuminate their vicinity just by existing; they were eyes to match that bright, warm personality of hers which made it all the more saddening to see them framed by her fatigue. It was clear she had been foregoing sleep to watch over him and work on whatever she had at that desk along with repairing the bow. She was certainly skilled but it came at a cost.

It worried him to an extent, almost naturally. Truly he had known this girl before he lost his memories. The feeling of anything otherwise refused to sit with him. Her self-negligence evoked concern within him.

Hades shifted in the decent-sized bed and motioned for the brunette to join him, a forced smile curling on his lips.

“You should sleep as well,” he advised, “and not in one of those stiff chairs. You will surely harm yourself.”

Reiki stifled a further giggle and stood up, rolling down her raised sleeves.

“If you insist,” she whispered, crawling onto the bed and curling next to Hades. She blithely watched him shift and drape the blanket over her as well and they sat in the cold, but welcoming, darkness. He embraced the young woman’s heat as she snuggled into a ball under the blanket, long hair cradling her face.

“Thank you,” Hades mumbled, sinking into the heavy quilt himself.

“For?”

“Helping me, is all...” Hades clarified. He glanced down when he felt her curl her delicate fingers around the closer of his shaking hands.

“What did I say?” she huffed out. “You’re my friend, aren’t you?”

“I...” Hades sighed and leaned against her, nose nudging against her soft brunette locks. “Of course...”

Of course.

The feeling he felt when near her was gratifying. It felt right.

He belonged here, with her.

He lacked his memories but he had regained her friendship and that was fine for now. He dreaded thinking of anything that would pull them apart now. She seemed to be his entire world, keeping him grounded when he has nothing else. A connection to everything he once knew.

She held the truth.


	4. Chapter 4

_Reiki stared into the distance, a hand over her chest. She stared at it, to her leather glove, and the black robe she wore. She lowered her brows and walked forward, brunette hair swaying to each side with her heavy steps. She let out a breath and reeled back when she looked up to find a figure in white before her._

** _“You dare interfere, Warrior of Darkness?”_ **

_Reiki bit her lip, feeling for the Light trailing around her. She stammered to the side and glanced around to feel for the Light fending off the Darkness._

** _“Ever so persistent, aren’t you?”_ **

_Reiki narrowed her eyes, focusing on the figure but at the same time her vision was fading and quickly._

** _“You always were.”_ **

_Reiki reached for the figure as it extended a hand but the Darkness swallowed her before she could even take the first step forward._

* * *

It seemed Hades had been awake first that morning because he was nowhere to be found when the brunette finally came to. She rubbed her eyes and turned to swing her legs off the bed, letting out a deep yawn. She glanced around and found that Hades’s bow and quiver were missing, her katana left on its own against the far wall.

Reiki sighed and jumped off the bed, a bit dizzy at first with the sudden movement. It seemed that the exhaustion of the days prior without proper sleep left a lasting effect on her she figured would soon pass. She stumbled forward and threw her boots on, grabbed her katana, and headed out without grabbing her coat and the various items in contained, clearly in a hurry.

* * *

Reiki wandered some ways out of Fanow, weakly reaching for any aether in the air with her dull senses. She took a deep breath and broke into a dash, katana loosely held in her left hand. She hurried, honing in when she finally picked up the weak but distinctive aether. She entered the clearing and found Hades aiming his bow at a tree across the field, firing an arrow into it. He turned when he heard Reiki rustling among the bushes, brows raised.

“Th-There you are!” Reiki let out, falling to her knees with relief. “I was worried...” She glanced up as he walked over with surprise on his features.

“M-My apologies for not leaving notice,” he bowed partially when he came to a stop before Reiki.

“It’s... fine,” Reiki heaved. She leaned down and breathed in to steady herself. She finally hopped to her feet, leaving her katana on the ground, and wandered over to the tree Hades had been practicing on. She stared at the arrows in the wood. “Certainly better than yesterday,” she murmured. She tugged at one, finding it loosely in the tree, “but you can tell...”

The brunette froze, feeling a change in the air. She narrowed her eyes, focusing herself on the tremors in the aether, and turned around to find a large, shadowy figure swipe at her. She tried stepping back but she was too late, finding herself in its grasp. She stared with wide eyes, finding her limbs completely bound by the beast. She reached for her magic but winced as the creature tightened its grip.

Hades stared in shock. He stopped with the panic, hands trembling at his sides. He held up a fist, a strange sensation rippling through the air around him – inside him, and drew an arrow back along his bow. He took aim at the creature and let the arrow loose, a trail of red following it

The creature bellowed, stumbling backward with Reiki still captive. Hades quickly drew another arrow and repeated what he had done before, it clearly having effect on the monster. He visibly panicked when it turned its agitated attention on him. His hands shook as he reached for another arrow, the monster approaching him and found his fingers struggling to grab one. He tried focusing his eyes on it but couldn’t quite pick out its figure: it was many, many ilms high and took on an almost sludge-like appearance with feathers sprouting about it. The arm it had around Reiki was thick with sharp claws all emphasized as it pushed into her helpless form.

Hades found focus when he heard the weak squeaks Reiki let out. He focused his energy the best he could into the arrow and launched it, many other beams of energy following in its wake. He ran forward as it recoiled and dropped Reiki before retreating into the shadows. Hades sent an aimless arrow into the tree line after it but quickly opted to drop the bow and tend to Reiki instead.

The brunette breathed in heavily, reacquainting herself with the grass beneath her. She let out a low murmur as she moved her arms and examined the viscous liquid seeping into her clothes, grunting as it weighed her sleeves down.

“Disgusting...” she grumbled, scrunching her shirt up and over her head so she was left in just the sleeveless undershirt she wore beneath. “I never want to be touched by that thing again,” she huffed out, glaring in the direction it escaped. “I don’t think I would even want to put my katana in it... would probably get lost in there,” she complained, rubbing her cheek and pulled away, feeling that goop on her face now. “Ugh... it reeks.”

Shaking off the feeling temporarily, Reiki turned to Hades and forced a smile.

“You were channeling aether,” she pointed out. She almost reached for the closer of his hands but remembered the goo.

“I was...?” Hades muttered, watching her pick up her previously discarded shirt. He gave a hand a brief stare and watched Reiki head over to her katana. His gaze widened as she bent down and a headache overcame him.

“Rei...”

It was all he could manage before he met the ground, Reiki turning around just as he did.

* * *

_Hades’s body moved without his command, watching himself raise his hand and take a robed figure in his arms. He stared at them past his white locks and found them breathing heavily in grasp. His brows furrowed as they wrapped their arms around his torso, grabbing at his black robes. He reached up and ran a clawed finger carefully down the curve of their soft face, eyes resting on their white mask. He bit back a gasp as the figure nuzzled against the soft fabric of his cloak with raspy breaths._

_“I’m sorry.”_

_Their voice was almost unintelligible but clear all the same._

_He couldn’t control the tears running down his face and merely held them tight, digging his claws into their back._

_“I-I’m so sorry,” Hades returned, choking._

_His chest felt so tight, an awful pain surging through his body. An ache. It was familiar yet strange._

_He _hurt.

* * *

Hades sat up with a start, sweat beading down his form. He held a hand around his throat and calmed himself down before glancing to the rest of the room. Reiki’s coat and katana had been left with his own, her likely nearby in the village outside. He curled under the blanket she must have draped over him, shivering.

He stared at the wood floor, recalling that dream. He grimaced and reached under his pillow for his journal and held it in his lap. He stared for a moment in the eerie silence before finally putting ink to page.

_I’ve had strange dreams recently. I find myself wearing this strange robe and gloves with claws that might stab me if I so much as move awkwardly. It’s... bizarre. Who would wear such a thing? An outfit to match, no less, and long white hair..._

Hades paused, thinking about those gloves, and quickly sketched them as he remembered them next to his words, then opting to write around the drawing, finding he had accidentally pressed too hard and leaked a bit of extra ink onto the page.

_ “I’m so sorry."  
_ _ “This is for everyone.”  
_ _ “Just trust me.”_

He stopped again, realizing his hand was shaking from merely thinking about those words. What did those words mean to him to elicit such a feeling? To make him tremble so?

_ I have no understanding of these words in such context.  
_ _ In the later dream, I was met with a robed person. I... was hugging them.  
_ _ “I’m sorry.”  
_ _ Did that person... hurt me?  
_ _ It hurt. An ache in my chest.  
_ _ That person in a white mask. That mask felt horribly familiar and the emotion refuses to sit well within me._

Uneasy, he pushed against the wall behind him and curled further in on himself as he thought and thought about that dream.

_ Who are they and what do they mean to me?  
_ _ If they mean anything at all..._

He held his hand over the page, staring at his words and thought back on the day. He quickly sketched his bow and a match arrow, it glowing from the magic.

_ I had used magic. Rather, Reiki said I was channeling aether. I had enchanted my arrows, it seemed. It was enough to fight off – or, at least scatter – the monster that captured her.  
_ _ What was that thing?_

Hades sighed and drew the monster they encountered as best he could, complete with its slopping limbs and strewn feathers. He sketched its sharp claws and found himself staring at their shape as he remembered them. Long, thick metal that tapered at the ends. Enough to grip at a person as it had Reiki. He held his head for a moment, studying his sketch.

What _was _that thing?

He shook his head and continued drawing, topping off his collection of sketches.

_ It felt horribly familiar but I do not think I seek the answer.  
_ _ I just must be able to protect her in the event we meet such a creature again.  
I have to return what she has given me already.  
I won't be a burden.  
_ _ I need to reclaim this magic she says I once had._

Hades frowned and closed the journal, staring at its leather cover for a moment. He traced the binding, distracting himself from his lingering thoughts, before shoving it back under the pillow.

He braced himself and threw himself to his feet, surprised by how light he felt. His body still ached as it had before, sure, but he thought it would be worse for wear with his collapse. It actually made him feel uneasy. His mind drifted to what he had wrote:

He had used magic.

It was just a tiny bit but it was a remnant of who he once was–

Who he is.

He collected his boots and headed out in search of Reiki.


	5. Chapter 5

Reiki held her hands out as she spoke to a Vii, Hades’s bow sitting on the table between them. Hades watched from the distance for the moment, allowing the two the room to speak uninterrupted. He stood with his hands in his pockets, watching Reiki’s somewhat erratic movements, swinging her hands as she spoke enthusiastically.

The Vii nodded, a smile on her face. She then pointed to Hades, the man blinking, and Reiki turned and wove to him. She gave a short bow to the Vii before grabbing the bow and running over to man.

“You’re up!” she huffed out, giving a bit of a wave.

“Better than before,” Hades nodded. “What about yourself?”

Reiki tilted her head. He was worried about her with his own state as poor as it is.

“Don’t worry about me,” the brunette giggled. She quickly pushed the topic aside and handed Hades his bow. “I had the mender here take a look at my prior repairs and we evened out the weight! Try it out!”

Hades did as she told and took the bow, flipping it around and stretching his arm out, twisting it at various angles and pulling at the string. He gave a bit of a smirk as he spun to the side, aiming at a tree in the distance. He turned back to Reiki, holding it firm in his hand.

“It’s well done,” he voiced his observations, “not that your repair was of poor quality.”

Reiki quickly rubbed the back of her head.

“Don’t flatter me,” she sighed. “I already told you I was out of practice.”

She turned away, hiding her frown.

“Come on,” she said while keeping a light tone to her voice, “let’s go get something to eat.”

* * *

Reiki stared as Hades launched lined shots into the targets before him. His movements were somewhat sluggish was expected with his condition but better than before. She crouched and sat with her arms crossed over her knees, studying the flow of aether around the Ascian.

She watched it jerk every so often, still a storm within. She narrowed her eyes, focusing herself with grumble, as it felt as dim as before. She traced its flow, concentrating in his torso, reignite every so often with his pulls on the bowstring. She nearly closed her eyes, finding just a crack on his surface. She fell to a knee, a hand over an eye, as it fractured – or, rather, the cracks became clearer – before her. She shook her head, ignorant of Hades looking over and quickly approaching her.

“Reiki?”

He seemed distant, despite standing just above her, if just for a moment.

“Reiki!?”

She refocused herself, finding purchase on his voice, and brought her head up with a cheeky grin.

“Don’t worry,” she reassured him, voice somewhat shaky, “I’m just a bit tired is all.”

“Are you sure?” muttered Hades. Reiki couldn’t help but shoot him a glare upon hearing his caution. She stood up and placed her hands on her hips with a matter-of-the-fact shake of the head.

“I’m more than fine!” she gloated, huffing her chest up. Her expression softened before internally laughing at Hades’s concern.

“Careless!” he suddenly let out out.

“M-Me, careless!?” I’d never!” Reiki crossed her arms in a pout. She gave him a light smack as if to prove a nonexistent point. “You’re in a way worse spot than me!”

“That doesn’t mean you should ignore your own health,” Hades grumbled.

Reiki lowered her arms, shrugging. “Listen, I’ve been ages without slee–”

Hades grabbed her arm and marched her back to Fanow. The brunette let out a moan. She could easily overpower him but felt no desire to.

“Really, this is nothing!” she fruitlessly complained. “Emet–”

Hades froze with the Midlander still in tow.

Reiki’s eyes widened, realizing what had come out of her mouth. She stood still and awaited Hades’s reaction, somewhat fearful of it. She felt his hand tighten around hers anxiously and their eyes met.

“What did you say...?”

Reiki swallowed.

“You merely remind me of someone is all,” she let out, hiding her nervousness and scratching the side of her head. “He’s...” She paused, biting her lip.

“‘He’s?’” Hades tilted his head, pressing.

“He’s dead, unfortunately.”

If she hadn’t steadied herself against worse thoughts, Reiki would have fallen right there but she knew Hades could feel her trembling beneath him anyway.

Hades lowered his hand from her arm and turned away.

“My... apologies. I shouldn’t pester you with such a topic.”

Reiki stared at him, tracing his fragile frame – the shift in his aether.

“Don’t worry about it,” she finally said. She shook for a moment before grabbing at the closer of his hands to hold it tight. Hades turned to face her, surprise in his pale eyes. “The past is past.”

She walked forward with him behind her now, leading the way back.

“C’mon,” she gave a wide smile, “it’s getting late.”

Hades stopped – if just for a moment – and watched her calm features, feeling for something buried deep inside.

A lost friend–

The sensation in him was almost overwhelming. It made his heart ache; a chord struck awfully deep.

How did that girl find the strength to keep going?

* * *

Hades sat on the bed, watching Reiki fiddle her boots off her feet. He brought a hand against his head as he studied her, it suddenly aching. He watched her remove her outer shirt through hazy vision and fell on his side. Reiki turned to him just as he did, blinking.

“H-Hades!?”

Hades stared lucidly, eyes unfocused. A light swirled in his gaze, circling in on itself. He subconsciously reached for it and found his hands taken into Reiki’s grasp. He gave a soft smile with the familiar, warm feeling of her hands despite his mind’s confused state.

Reiki moved to sit down and cradled Hades with his strange behavior. She watched aether swirl haphazardly, trying to find a flow to settle in but never quite reaching such a state. It nearly lashed out at her as she reached out for it, begging her to step away. She observed it finally calming just a bit – enough to grant rest – in her arms, matching the beating of its owner’s heart, as Hades drifted asleep.

It didn’t sit well with the brunette.

Just what was that violent reaction in his aether?

* * *

_“You will protect her, won’t you?”_

_“She is ever so reckless...”_

_“She needs us and I am not long for this world.”_

_“It falls to you to guide her through the darkness.”_

_“I trust you, my friend.”_

* * *

Hades stirred awake first the next morning, his head aching. He sat in the silence and found himself focusing on Reiki’s shallow breathing. He shifted and leaned closer to her, finding her heartbeat, and found himself at ease. He sat there, left to his thoughts, and wondered about the dream that woke him up.

He furrowed his brows, thoughts resting upon those words. He had picked out the voice as lower pitched so surely it couldn’t have been a memory of his time with Reiki. He looked down at her again, wondering she would have any clues.

Who had this “Emet” been?

Why did he remind her of him?

A hand clenched at the bed sheets.

How had that man died?

The brunette had shrugged him off but her use of that name had been clear: She was still mourning.

He studied her calm but exhausted features, tracing the curve in her face. He was taken aback slightly when she rolled onto her side to face him, hands trembling together on the pillow. He swallowed and reached down, holding her tight beneath him. He watched as incomprehensible murmurs left her, her previously tranquil expression leaving her.

The worry she was having a nightmare about her lost friend gave him a sense of dread.

He reached over and ran his hand through her brown locks, tracing the red highlights spattered about in her hair. He shifted his hand down to rest it over her cheek, relishing in the warmth compared to his freezing hands.

Had... his dream been about her?

He had someone to protect and she was all he had.

They were brought together for a reason, surely.

He settled back down beside her, still stroking her hair and gently pushing it behind her ear. He smiled as she eased, a sense of peace returning to her. He drifted back asleep just as her eyes fluttered open, finding his hands over her cheek and hands respectively.

She stifled a giggle, not wanting to wake him, with her oh-so-trapped – but not really – state. It was soothing, to be close to someone after so long.

Even if it ended up being him of all people.

It hurt to look at him for even these fleeting moments.

Thinking of what she had done to him. Everything he had told her, what she had experienced, of the world before this one.

_ Remember..._

For he couldn’t.

But he was still here. They were both still here.

With or without the truths both sought, they would surely find a way forward.


	6. Chapter 6

_“Emet-Selch? Emet-Selch!”_

_He sat up with a groan, rubbing his head. He found his hood had been removed – surely by himself considering how little he found himself wearing it when on his own like this – as well as his red mask at his side. He glanced up to see a wide smile looking down on him. He rolled his eyes and rested his elbows over his knees, staring at the pale-haired girl. He looked past her messy locks and stared at her gold eyes with his own._

_“What is it?” he muttered and held a hand over his mouth as he yawned. “Clearly I was resting...”_

_“Wow, no kidding!” she let out sarcastically, dangling her arms like wet noodles in front of her. She brought her hands up and placed them on her hips as if ready to scold him. “You missed another meeting, you know.” She sighed, dropping one hand and tipping her hip to the side. “Elidibus was pretty angry about it.”_

_“He’s in a constant state of angry,” he grunted, brushing back his messy white locks. “If he’s not frustrated over one thing there’s always something else for him to worry about.”_

_“You’re not wrong, but,” she sighed, “he’s just looking out for everyone.”_

_“That student of yours takes after him,” he grumbled, moving to sit up and brushing his robe down, “in possibly the worst ways.”_

_“Oh, come on,” she puffed her cheeks out with a puff. “He could take after me, you know.”_

_“Ah, the one worse thing possible,” he commented with a sly grin, unsurprised when she nearly pushed him to the ground. “Surely you did not seek me out because of Elidibus.”_

_“Nah,” she held her arms out, giving a bit of a spin in her movements as she walked ahead of him. “A certain someone wanted me to come and fetch you.”_

_“But, of course...” He reached down as to not forget his mask and followed the woman. He gave a glance upward to see her all-too-bright smile._

_“Hey–”_

* * *

“Hades?”

Hades looked up from where he stood beside Reiki, realizing he held a hand against his head. He glanced to the side to find her concerned expression to which he forced a smile.

“Are you ill? Something I can help with?” she asked, looking to his free hand to find it trembling but she kept the observation to herself for now. Hades shook his raised hand dismissively. “Nothing to worry about.” He scratched a cheek. “I believe I was just spacing out for a moment there.” He lowered his hand and motioned to the woods. “Where were we, then?”

Reiki narrowed her eyes ever so slightly, clearly still troubled by the man’s behavior but she shoved the thought aside for the time being. She placed a hand on the hip opposite her katana and walked just a bit in front of him and pointed toward the ruins to the north.

“You were interested in following me up there, right?” she asked, tilting her head. “A villager asked something of me and I had no reason to really deny her. Not like I’m doing much else, anyway.”

Hades nodded and moved to match her pace.

“What exactly is she looking for?”

“Apparently, don’t really ask me how,” Reiki began with a sigh, “she lost something up in one of the ruins and a dangerous monster’s been lurking about.” She gave him a thumbs up. “So, me being me, I thought I’d go retrieve it for her! The monsters around here aren’t too tough for me.”

“Right.” Hades couldn’t help but frown, remembering the monster that had trapped Reiki just a few suns prior. Surely this expedition couldn’t go as poorly as that had. Surely. He rubbed his head, still staving off his headache in frustration. It just simply refused to leave him be. He found himself too occupied with it, he had not noticed Reiki’s gaze return to him.

Her brows furrowed as she watched him. She traced the tumultuous turns in his aether, simply refusing to stay still, as he lowered his hand and somewhat fell in step behind her. She opened her mouth to speak but stopped herself. What would she even say? He clearly couldn’t trace aether in his current state and even she lacked any particular understanding of it. All she knew is that her stomach ached when she watched him move.

She kept it to herself, still tracing his features. She only stopped when he did, drawing his bow and an arrow from his back. She looked ahead to where he was staring to find a wild bear. She blinked and quickly drew her katana. She placed a foot forward protectively, sword held firm in both hands.

“Just stay behind me, alright?” she needed to assure herself, looking to him.

He nodded, a slight smile on his face. “Don’t worry, I know.”

She returned the motion and charged forward, dragging her katana just off the ground. She gave a wide sweep at the bear, it guarding against her attack, icicles in her wake from the shining blade. She drew herself back just slightly and held her sword forward over her head before charging once more. She glanced up to find the bear ready to guard her again only to find an arrow in its arm. She gave a look, just slightly, back to Hades as he readied for another shot.

She jumped upward with an upward swipe of the blade and flipped over and onto the ground behind the bear. She brought her blade up when it suddenly turned and threw a clawed paw down on her. She grunted, catching it but finding her heels digging into the dirt beneath her, and pushed it up and off her. She jumped to the side, it immediately throwing it down into the ground where she was prior. She rolled onto her side before finding her footing and standing back up, katana barely held in one hand.

Reiki charged forward once more as the bear recoiled from another arrow, a glowing feather sticking out of its back, and gave a swipe at an arm. She jumped over a push of the arm at her and dug her blade into said forearm, driving it to the ground. She let out a harsh breath and cranked her blade out of it, finding a black mist ooze where some sort of blood should have been. She stared with wide eyes, baffled, and never saw the smack to her side coming.

She was sent across the grass, katana flying off to the side, easily by the bear. She let out a cough and dug a gloved hand in the ground in frustration, forcing herself up despite her nagging muscles. She wiped a dirtied cheek and found Hades standing beside her, firing off another glowing arrow.

“Are you alright!?” he asked as the bear turned its attention toward him. He quickly urged Reiki up and she ran over to her katana as Hades ran the opposite direction.

“What in seven hells is this thing!?” Reiki exclaimed, hopelessly wondering if Hades would remotely have any idea but more letting out her frustrations. She glanced toward all the wounds she and Hades had given it, the same mist leaving its body. She held her katana in her right hand, her left arm protesting from the ache of the attack. Oh, that would bruise in the morning.

“D-Don’t ask me!” Hades let out, running and firing arrows as best he could, kind of hoping the bear’s attention would fall off him. “I assume it too late to run while we can!”

“There’s no way we can drag it back to Fanow!” Reiki complained, dashing to throw a swipe at the bear’s back. She clicked her tongue as she landed at the side, staring at the same darkness. “It reminds me of the Voidsent...” she said to herself, not considering the possibility of them on the First with the Light gone.

“Reiki!"

She snapped out of her brief daze to find Hades on the ground, the bear hovering overhead. She ran ahead and gave a spin in-place, energy forming along the cutting edge of the blade and sending a wave at the bear’s legs. It crumpled forward, crippled by the attack, and allowed Hades the breathing room to stand and jump back and toward Reiki. He gave a heavy breath, body clearly against all the quick movements but still high on the adrenaline.

He found Reiki had her busted-up arm held up, hand on her chin, and looking toward the ground.

“Could it really be a Voidsent?” she murmured. “This aether...”

Hades opened his mouth to speak, the bear turning with claws raised in the air over Reiki. Everything that followed happened far too quickly for either to process properly. He dropped his bow in a panic and ran forward to hug Reiki tight, subconsciously raising a hand in the air, fingers splayed, as the bear dropped its arm down on them. He let out a heavy breath and squeezed his eyes shut, praying something would happen. Reiki stared as a beam of bright energy conjured from his hand and fired forward through the bear effortlessly.

Hades cracked his eyes open to find a hole in the bear, darkness escaping the wound, and stared with shock. Reiki found herself doing similar, hands trembling. She dropped her katana to the ground as Hades walked up to the bear and held his hand up toward the hole and it vanished within the instant.

Reiki traced the brief jerk in his aether, finding it similar to what little she could sense of his aether before she killed him. Her mouth was agape with shock, realizing he had tapped into just the tiniest bit of energy she knew deep down he was still capable of.

“W... Well it’s gone,” Hades finally murmured, turning back to Reiki. He found her rolling her eyes and falling to her knees, hands weakly reaching for her katana but never finding purchase on its handle. She glanced up to find his uneasy smile.

“Y... You defeated it,” Reiki finally let out, grabbing her katana and fumbling it back into its protective saya. Her eyes were wide as she barely managed the action. She was right before; she was mostly certainly going to be sore in the morning.

“Your arm,” Hades’s words broke through her daze, clearly observing the arm that had been smacked. She protectively held her good hand over it, grinning.

“I’ll be fine,” she managed, compelling herself to her feet with a small grunt. She looked to Hades, seeing his brows were still furrowed with worry on his features. “B... But what about you?” she quickly changed topics. "When you used magic before...”

“I... believe I feel fine?” came the answer, clearly unsure of himself. She watched him walk over to his bow, still following the dying flow of his aether. Had that just been an incident, a fortunate turn of luck when they were in danger? She frowned at the thought. She sighed and followed him.

“I guess heading to the ruins can wait,” Reiki grumbled. “Time to brush up on handling blunt damage,” she huffed out, walking up to Hades. “Come on.”

“Right.”

Just what had that creature been?

She needed to get in contact with the Scions immediately. If it had been a Voidsent after all, oh, this did not bode well.

Surely Elidibus was making his move.


End file.
